Reviewer:
Mr_PeaCH
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January 1, 2017
Subject:
Oh to be a teenage deadhead in the 80s again
Let's see. So many memories. This would be the final show of three this year at Irvine. Camped the parking lot and was at all three. This is Easter Sunday. They played early and sunset was right around the end of the second set - gorgeous night.
I'm a sophomore in college down in San Diego. I'll be 20 in a week. I'm at the show with all my deadhead college buds. My first shows were the previous year, same venue, just before Jerry had the coma. My second shows were the first ones with Jerry back in Oakland; saw all three and we even got backstage the third night. That's another story.
We drove up from San Diego in my classic Cali bug and camped in the lot; still allowed then. I think it was after the first night that we left the parking lot long after the show in the middle of the night; drove my car into town to find a convenience store. All of us in our tie-dye, piling out of my bug at the 7-11 around midnight still tripping. Quite a scene. As we paid and left the Sev' a pair of police cars rolled into the lot with lights flashing. It was hands on the car while they frisked all of us down, searched our purchases and shook down my car.
They had nothing! We had bought only munchies and OJ and chocolate milk. We were clean, they were so confused and I know we couldn't believe it ourselves. I mean, clearly we were high but they wanted to catch us buying alcohol or at least in possession. We laughed ourselves to death on the drive back to the safety of the Irvine Meadows parking lot; we felt invincible. Still later I went through the car myself and I found all sorts of shit... to this day still no idea why we didn't get busted. My 'dead miracle' story. :-)
Oh, and I'm also the guy who started the rolling-head-over-heels down the long, steep grass slope of general admission at Irvine Meadows!
Mr_PeaCH